Rahsaan Bahati

Rahsaan Bahati (né born Rahsaan Fawazz Bahati February 13, 1982) is a cyclist. Rahsaan was raised in Compton, California, and discovered Velodrome cycling at 11. He currently rides and co-founded Methods To Winning Elite Cycling Team LLC (MTW) based in Los Angeles, California.

Early life
Rahsaan F. Bahati is the fourth child and first son of Nassoma Bahati, a former school teacher in Compton Unified School District, and Rashid Bahati a film producer and executive director of the Bahati Foundation. His parents migrated from Birmingham, Alabama to Southern California in the early 1980’s. Rahsaan’s father a former professional musician was so impressed by a famous Jazz saxophonist named Rahsaan Roland Kirk that he named his son after him. Rahsaan attended several private schools in Compton and was introduced to cycling at Davis Middle School Compton Unified School District.

Rahsaan grew up with his five sisters and one brother in Compton, California. Rahsaan played little league Baseball and pop-warner Football for the Carson Colts.

In his early years Rahsaan was a clown. His teacher recommended that Rahsaan start an afterschool program to focus some of his problematic energy. He was given the choice between golf and bikes. Next day father took him to was once the local velodrome in Carson now none as the VELO Sports Center. Picked to go to Kenosha, Wisconsin for the US junior track Nationals. He brought home four medals that year and launched a junior career that brought him over 80 victories and 5 straight selections to the US National Team. He attended Crenshaw High School when to family moved from Compton to Leimert Park in Los Angeles.

Rahsaan was developing into an accomplished cyclist and riding with The Major Motion Cycling Team out of Leimert Park. Through the efforts of members of the team, he was able to train and race in local criteriums and road races. After completing his degree Rahsaan launched full-time into a cycling career with some US cycling teams. In 2008, he became a US National Pro Champion in Criterium.

Early career
The Bahati home, where Rahsaan grew up during his high school years with his parents and six siblings, sits on a quiet street just a few blocks off Crenshaw Boulevard in Leimert Park in Los Angeles. The house is a neat two-story with green trim, decorated with African art, family pictures, and the spoils of Rahsaan’s victories. Early on, his coaches noticed how easily he could sprint around the track, and they encouraged his parents to buy him a track bike. Nassoma Bahati, who works at Harriett Tubman continuation school for teenage mothers in Compton, and husband Rashid were supporting seven children, and spending money on a bicycle seemed extravagant.

By the end of the next year, Rahsaan Bahati had won a silver medal at the junior national track championships.

Results

 * 2000
 * 1st Junior National Criterium Championships
 * 1st USCF National Criterium Championships (amateur)


 * 2002
 * 1st Collegiate Points Race National Championships
 * 1st 2002 International Pursuit


 * 2005
 * 1st Barrio Logan GP
 * 2nd Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix
 * 2nd Ontario Mid Season Criterium


 * 2006
 * 1st MLK Criterium
 * 1st Stage 4, Tour of the Gila


 * 2007
 * 1st Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix
 * 1st Stage 3, Valley of the Sun Stage Race
 * 2nd U.S. National 40 Km Madison Championships
 * 2nd Stage 3, Tri-peaks Challenge
 * 2nd Walterboro Cycling Classic


 * 2008
 * 1st Stage 2, International Cycling Classic-Superweek
 * 1st Roger Millikan Memorial Criterium
 * 2nd Best Sprinter Competition International Cycling Classic-Superweek
 * 2nd Ontario Criterium, Race 2


 * 2009
 * 1st Dana Point GP


 * 2010
 * 2nd Downtown Long Beach Criterium
 * 1st Tour of America's Dairyland Criterium, Race 3
 * 1st Tour of America's Dairyland Criterium, Race 6

2011
 * 3rd Sunny King Criterium
 * 2nd San Rafael Twilight Criterium

2012
 * 5th Glencoe Grand Prix Criterium NCC
 * 2nd Barry Wolfe Grand Prix Criterium
 * 3rd Tour de Murrieta | CCR

2013
 * 2nd THF Realty Gateway Cup Criterium
 * 2nd THF Realty Gateway Cup Criterium
 * 1st THF Realty Gateway Cup Criterium
 * 4th USA Cycling Elite Mass Start Track Nationals
 * 5th Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove
 * 4th 2013 USA Cycling Amateur Criterium
 * 4th Tour of Americas Dairyland Criterium
 * 5th Tour of Americas Dairyland Criterium Ncc Stage
 * 3rd Old Pueblo Grand Prix Criterium Ncc 2
 * 3rd 2013 Roger Millikan Memorial Criterium